Muppets

This is the way we like our Muppets. They need to be interacting with the real world as if they are real themselves. So why not have them hit the promotional circuit just as much as Jason Segel to promote their new movie, as Miss Piggy does here on 'Chelsea Lately' (Weeknights, 11PM ET on E!).

Of course, this is Chelsea Handler, so the questions inevitably turned to sex. But when Handler wanted to know how far she and Kermit had gone, Piggy proved a master at interviews, by cleverly evading the question. It's a completely inappropriate question, after all, and more importantly -- we don't really want to know the answer!

It was a special Halloween edition of 'WWE Monday Night Raw' (Mon., 9PM ET on USA), which featured several of the wrestling superstars in costume. But at almost every turn, they were upstaged by the week's special guests.

In anticipation of their return to the silver screen, the Muppets were all over this broadcast. Kermit was getting some love from one of the female wrestlers, while Miss Piggy was getting rebuffed. Animal got to serve as the timekeeper, while Beeker actually impacted the outcome of a match.

Things took a turn for the silly on 'Top Chef All Stars' (Wed., 10PM ET on Bravo) when several of the 'Sesame Street' monsters stopped by to judge a cookie competition. Of course, that meant Cookie Monster would be there, and he was joined by both Elmo and Telly.

Telly seemed to take the competition pretty seriously, while Elmo used the opportunity to crack jokes. When one of the contestants mentioned using thyme in her recipe, Elmo asked, "How much time?"

For the first table read, Segel revealed that the Muppets themselves were brought in to perform their parts, so it wasn't just the voice actors sitting around. "Kermit comes out," he said. "He goes, 'Hi-ho' and then I said I needed a five minute break."

At that moment, it must have been like the culmination of a dream for Segel, who said in his youth he'd thought of Kermit as the everyman, even moreso than Jimmy Stewart and Tom Hanks. Now, he'd taken his passion and love of the Muppets, and he was bringing about their revival.

Jim Henson has sadly passed on, but his company is still thriving and adapting to the times.
According to the LA Times, GSN announced today that Henson Alternative (the adult division of the Jim Henson Company) will be making a game show called 'Late Night Liars,' which stars a group of alcoholic puppets.

The premise of the game show is this: Contestants (who are human) will have to distinguish between fact and fiction, as told by the aforementioned drunk puppets, as they compete for various cash and prizes. Characters include Shelley Oceans, Sir Sebastian Simian and William A. Mummy (get it?).

Actor/comedian Larry Miller will host.

"Jim Henson made a great discovery many years ago when he realized that pretending puppets are people is far easier than dealing with people who are puppets," Miller said in a GSN statement.

When we here at TV Squad HQ (an outhouse-sized shack in the suburbs of Paducah, KY) heard that Jason Segel of 'How I Met Your Mother' was co-writing a new theatrical Muppet movie, there was much rejoicing.

Why? Because, while Neil Patrick Harris gets all the attention, Segel has quietly become the comedic glue of the show, able to do subtle humor and physical shtick with the best of them. Also, despite his relative youth, he has expressed his love of the Muppets in the past. So we had a feeling that he was going to produce a script that recalled the best of the Muppet flicks, 'The Muppet Movie' and 'The Great Muppet Caper,' while keeping a modern edge.

Now The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog has the news that Segel will also be starring in the movie, tentatively titled 'The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time,' as the Muppets' live action buddy, who along with Kermit seeks to reunite the gang to save their old theater. Huzzahs all around.

James Bobin has signed on to direct the new Muppet movie. Bobin co-created the television version of Flight of the Conchords (as opposed to the band itself, which was co-created by Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie).

So it's a writer who has predominantly worked in television who is directing a movie about a group of characters who became famous from a television show. The movie itself is co-written by Jason Segel, star of How I Met Your Mother, who is rumored to be a Muppet-maniac. I'm still waiting for his Broadway production of Dracula, the Puppet Musical.

As a Muppet fan myself, I'm happy about this piece of news. I have enjoyed Bobin's work on Da Ali G Show and Flight of the Conchords without being aware of his involvement. I just hope Bobin shows love and respect for the franchise and we don't end up with another Muppets' Wizard of Oz.

The 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' crew and a crack team of hardhat-wearing Muppets pitch in to renovate a Minnesota family's 100-year-old home, which serves as a low-cost, multicultural daycare.

The St. Paul daycare, which is heavily relied upon by parents who can't afford more expensive daycare options, was in danger of being shut down due to the poor state of the house in which it was based.
Watch the video after the jump.

Farscapewent off the air before TV Squad even materialized into existence. Being the prompt person I am (note the sarcasm), I finally had the chance to watch the complete series right before the new year. What struck me most about the show was its spiritualism and fantasy elements.

The science behind it was crap. Even the scientist character of Jool made note of this in one of the episodes. Farscape was more of a fantasy with some scientific window dressing, much like the Star Wars movies. It speaks volumes when the central hero has the initials "J.C." like some religious icons we know.

I know that The Muppet Show was for adults as much as kids, but this clip from the show is still rather odd. Guest Kenny Rogers sings "The Gambler" (which has lines about drinking whiskey and smoking cigarettes) and then one of the Muppets dies. It's all a bit surreal.

The Muppets Studio has posted a new video on YouTube of all your favorite Muppet characters performing Queen's rock classic 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'

The Muppets' version manages to be even more majestic, surreal and shamelessly excessive than the original Queen video -- and even the famous scene from 'Wayne's World' that served as an introduction to the song for a whole new generation.

Check it out after the jump, and set aside some time for repeat viewings; it actually gets better and more brilliant as it goes along, ending with a rather unexpected and amusing punchline from Kermit himself.